1. Field
The disclosure relates to data processing, and more particularly to the handling of data transfer in a LAN-free environment.
2. Background
Backup and restore operations pose various issues. In particular, backup on storage tape drives pose specific issues. For example, a same number of backup cards and of partitions may be required. Some existing approaches to solve these issues use particular communications systems between servers of the architecture, other approaches mutualize resources, and still other approaches leverage virtualization mechanisms.
US Patent application 20080091896 entitled “Storage system and data management method” for example discloses a storage system and a data management method which can reduce the load on a virtualization apparatus by executing backup processing or restoration processing within one apparatus in which an externally connected storage apparatus and a tape library apparatus are installed. The storage system includes a virtualization apparatus and an external storage apparatus, wherein the virtualization apparatus comprises an actual volume for storing data sent from a host apparatus, formed in a storage area provided by a physical disk. The virtualization apparatus further comprises a virtual volume paired with the actual volume, for storing replicated data for the data. The external storage apparatus comprises a logical volume that functions as an actual storage area for the virtual volume and a tape associated with the logical volume, for storing the replicated data, wherein the external storage apparatus has a copy unit for copying the replicated data stored in the logical volume to the tape. Whereas this approach leverages a virtualization mechanism, it still presents drawbacks.
During backup and restore operations, the use of the Local Area Network (LAN) may also be highly solicited, leading to a negative impact on the network traffic for existing and active users. For this reason, “LAN-free” backups are increasingly operated. A LAN-free backup is a backup of the data of a server to a shared central storage device without sending the data over the local area network (LAN).
There is a need for a system and method of efficiently managing backup or restore operations and in particular efficient handling of data transfer in a LAN-free environment.